The World of Ruin
by Cyberdrew
Summary: A Mad Titan rules over a mysterious realm by sewing chaos and destruction. These six heroes need to find each other, and work together to stop this tyrant in order to return home, before its too late.
1. Chapter 1

The landscape was vast, and unbelievably dead. No flora, no fauna, just monsters and travelers. As well as the occasional lost hero. That is the purpose of the World of Ruin, to reap discord from heroes, effectively chewing them up and spitting them out.

Take the heroic demigod son of Poseidon, Percy Jackson, who wonders the Crystal Wastelands as we speak. He trudged through the landscape, the stones doing no favors for his aching feet. He spotted a pond at the foot of a crystal formation.

"Fresh water," he rasped, collapsing to his hands and knees. "Finally."

Wasting no time, he dunked his head in, gulping as much water as he could. He didn't necessarily need to come up for air, but he chose to anyway. This place is full of monsters, drowning may not be a problem for him, but prowling predators certainly were.

He threw his head back and stared at the sky. He couldn't tell where he was. He could be in the underworld, but he was pretty sure the underworld didn't have clouds drifting overhead against a purple sky. He was aware of other mythos existing in the world, like Egyptian Magicians and Norse gods, but this place didn't add up with anything he was aware of. These wastes… he could be anywhere.

He'd been gone for at least a day, of that much he was certain, but he wasn't sure how he got here. He tried to remember the events that lead him here, but couldn't. It was like he blinked while looking in his fridge and suddenly he was here.

He took a minute to check his pockets. His wallet was brought with him, which has been useless so far, and he's had his magic Pen; which uncapped turned into the legendary sword Excalibur.

He wasn't sure why he was making jokes, least of all to himself, but it made him chuckle nonetheless. If he met a new kid at camp, he should pull that trick, just to see if they had been paying attention at all that day.

"Review," Percy told himself. "If nothing else for the sake of sanity. My name is Percy Jackson. I am the Son of Poseidon. Annabeth Chase is my girlfriend. My sword is named _Riptide_. My home is Manhattan, and Camp Half Blood."

He was about to go back to dunking his head into the water to clear it, when he heard a scream. There are actually other human beings here, and they're close by, and they're in trouble!

He got up and scrambled to the sound of the scream. He went around the crystal formation to see a girl facing a giant beast. It was on four legs, was six foot at the shoulder, and loomed like a giant wolf. Its head looked like a horse's skull with four curling horns, and green spit dripped out of its mouth.

The girl backed away slowly, she was cornered against the wall; defenseless. Percy checked around him and spotted something that's helped him earlier.

"Hey! Ugly!" He called out.

The beast turned, apparently insulted. Its horns scraped the wall around the girl and forced her to crouch and curl into a ball.

"Yeah, you heard me," Percy taunted it, placing himself exactly where he needed to be. "What are you going to do about it, big guy?"

The beast snarled and charged him, his feet pounding against the flat stone surface. At the last possible second, Percy rolled out of the way, with the creature snapping its teeth at his feet. Just like Percy had planned it, the creature barreled past him at full speed, charging head first into a black, bubbling tar pit. Percy watched as it fought and thrashed and cried out in desperation.

"Wow," Percy said, as the thing slowly became swallowed by the black goop. "When was the last time I had an easy encounter?" He didn't even need to bring out his sword for this one.

He sighed in relief and looked over to the girl in question. She stared at him, in a state of shock. The girl had short black hair, with two tails hanging of the sides. She had her left arm covered in bandages. Her clothes screamed "school uniform," though Percy couldn't guess from what kind of school they might be from. The girl had a bright blue eye, but the right eye had a patch over it.

Percy walked over to the stunned girl, she looked to be around high school age, but he tried to be reassuring anyways.

"You okay?" he offered a hand.

She eagerly took it and helped herself up. "Th-thank you," she said, "The Tyrant's Eye has been rendered useless here."

"Oh," Percy wasn't sure what she was referring to, but the girl didn't seem up for an interrogation. "You're the first person I've seen all day. How'd you wind up here?"

She held unto his arm tightly and leaned against him for support. "I was walking to my primary base of operations from my secondary base of operations, hidden at the school, along with my comrade; the Dark Flame Master. We were walking and suddenly…"

"You blinked," Percy guessed, "And you wound up here?"

He could feel the girl nodding. She was shaking. She looked up at him with a watery eye. "I'm not dreaming, am I? Am I dead?"

"No," Percy answered, "You're not dreaming. And… I'm pretty sure we're not dead."

Those answers didn't seem to comfort her any more than leaving them be. She buried her head into Percy's shirt, stifling tears.

"Hey," Percy tried, "Let's get away from the danger-murder beast, just… you know… to get away from the smell, at least."

The girl complied without question. They walked a couple paces and spotted an abandoned hiking pack. Probably from another sorry adventurer that didn't make it.

"Someone must have dropped it," Percy said, trying to keep an optimistic tone. The girl said nothing. "Look," he pointed out, "Looks like someone made camp over there. We can rest up there."

They walked over to the open area. Some elongated crystals were laid on their sides around a campfire, like sitting logs. The blackened sticks in the fire pit were ice cold, as well as the ready-to-be-burned pile next to it, but at least they were dry. Percy was curious as to where they found the wood, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Almost like it's made for us, huh?" Percy looked back to the girl, who remained quiet. "All we need now are some marshmallows."

"Hotdogs," the girl spoke, clarifying her preference.

"That too," Percy agreed. He sat down and started opening up the pack.

"Who are you?"

Percy's shoulder's tensed, and he froze in place. "What do you mean?"

"You're not like the other mortal…" she paused. "You're not like normal people."

Percy didn't really know this girl, but he got the sense that she was just a normal teenage girl. She put up a "Tyrant's Eye" act earlier, but he suspected that that's all that was. Why would she be playing pretend like that at her age?

"My friends call me Percy," Percy dodged the question. "What do they call you?"

She finally walked over and sat across from him. "What does it matter?" she said.

She tore off her eyepatch and took a minute to take out the yellow contact lens in it. She then unwrapped the bandages on her arm and threw them into the unlit fire pit.

"Here," she said, "You can use that for the fire. I don't need it anymore."

Percy wondered what was wrong. As the girl wiped a marker smudge off her arm, Percy fetched the bandages out of the fire pit.

"Well," Percy tried, "I should probably know your name in case…like, if we're in danger again. I don't want to run around shouting "Girl!" and getting everyone's hopes up. What do your friends call you?"

She sat forward with her elbows on her knees, staring into the fire pit miserably. "Rikka," she answered.

"Where do you live?" Percy tried.

The girl looked at him with emotionless eyes, "Japan. You're American, aren't you?"

"Well," Percy wasn't sure how to take that. "Yes?"

"You're Japanese is really good," Rikka commented, "You sound like you were born into it."

Percy blinked and was about to comment that he was very much speaking English and did not know a lick of Japanese, but he decided against it. In his time here, he deduced that a third party had brought them here; some kind of being or force of nature. The same party, if not a different one altogether, was now translating what they were saying. And it was increasingly clear that any magic Rikka was putting up was fake. So explaining all of this to her would only serve to scare and unsettle Rikka even more so.

A couple of moments of silence passed before Rikka spoke again. "Is there anything in the bag?"

Percy blinked and stammered. "Uh…Yeah. Uh…There's some canned food in here, a frying pan, a sleeping bag."

"Just one?" Rikka sounded slightly distressed.

"Don't worry," He said, "It's yours. I think it's too small for me anyway." That was a disturbing fact to Percy. He didn't want to think about who the original owner of this pack might be.

Or rather, who they might have been.

"Percy," Rikka said. Percy thought she might have been trying to argue.

"It's not a big deal," Percy waved it off, placing the sleeping bag aside.

"Percy," Rikka sounded more urgent.

"What?" Percy didn't understand what was happening. Then he noticed how tense Rikka looked and Percy looked over his shoulder.

The beast had crawled its way out of the tar pit. Black goo dripped off of its fur in clumps, staining the ground. One of its horns was missing, and it seemed to be gurgling something other than the acidic spit it had earlier.

"Oh great," Percy complained under his breath, "I should have known it wouldn't have been that easy."

The creature staggered forward, hissing at them. Percy pulled the pen out of his pocket and uncapped it. When Riptide sprang to life in his hand, Rikka sounded shocked.

"What-? How-?" she stammered.

Thinking quickly, Percy answered, "I found it. Earlier. Before I met you."

Rikka seemed incredulous, but didn't call him out on it. Percy charged forward. The beast seemed to be on his last leg, and although it snapped in his direction, it should be an easy kill. Percy jumped, and sank the sword into the monster's forehead.

The monster gave out a final cry and collapsed, blood oozing from its new wound. Percy retrieved his sword and flicked the blood off of it. When he returned to the campsite, Rikka stared at him skeptically.

"It's okay," Percy assured her, "its dead."

Rikka stared at him for another moment before looking back to the eye patch and bandages that she had set aside. "I used to dream of a world like this," she confessed, "monsters, magic, powers. Now that I'm trapped here, with someone like you… I'm just…"

"Hey, look," Percy could guess where this was going. "I'm the freak here. There's nothing wrong with-"

"I'm fifteen!" she exclaimed, "I shouldn't be acting like I'm you! Like I'm…something special."

Percy blinked. "Rikka…"

Just then, a loud snarl took Percy by surprise, as a wall of force slammed into his shoulder, knocking him off his feet.

Percy skidded away across the ground and his sword was knocked out of his hand. Percy was aware of Rikka shouting in surprise.

His vision had blurred, but as he fought to get his senses back, the creature that refused to die was standing over him already, and roared in his face. It planted one paw into Percy's chest, its claws digging into his skin, and he thought that this was it. This was the end. This is how he finally died, but he was saved at the last second.

Rikka had snatched up his sword and stabbed it into the neck of the beast. She pushed, plunging the sword deeper into the monster's flesh. It staggered away, moving off of Percy, and allowing him to breathe again. He quickly got up and reached around Rikka.

"Allow me," he offered. As Rikka moved out of his way, he shoved the beast to its side and ripped the sword outward, ripping out the beast's neck. Blood spewed and gushed as the creature whined. Percy stabbed it in its side, aiming for the heart, to try and put it out of its misery. It let out a final cry, before becoming still once more. Percy withdrew the blade and stepped back, not letting his guard down for a few minutes.

Eventually, there was a pool of blood that had gathered at the two's feet.

"Well," Percy said, huffing in relief, "That was…needlessly violent."

Rikka nodded, and then shook her head. "It's not like in the video games."

"Never is," Percy agreed, now huffing in exhaustion.

Just then, a warmth spread to Percy's back, like sunlight on a summer day at the beach. He turned and saw a swirling vortex that had appeared from nowhere. Looking into it, there was a street and sidewalk of an unfamiliar city. There was a building…a school, of some sort.

"That's…" Rikka stared in wonder. "That's my home town. That's my school…"

She stared at it in wonder, but didn't move.

"You should go," Percy told her, "Before it closes."

Rikka seemed to snap out of her trance and look at Percy.

"W-what?" she seemed shocked. The eyepatch was still in her hand. "A-and leave you? Here? With things like that?" She pointed to the dead monster accusingly. "You can come with me! We can get you home! If you don't live in Japan, then we can arrange a flight for you! Just-"

Percy held up his hand. He didn't know how he knows this, but a feeling in his gut told him that that would not work.

"I know you're worried," he told her, "But I can take care of myself. This is your ticket home. We don't know when this opportunity will happen again."

She looked at him stubbornly. She stamped her foot. "No!" she declared. "If you're staying, I'm staying with you!"

Percy looked her dead in the eye. She may be mortal, but she is certainly a brave mortal. He sighed and walked over to her. He placed his hands on her shoulders and gave her a sorry smile. "Your right," he said, "I can't survive out here for too long by myself."

Rikka lowered her guard, relaxing a bit.

Percy then turned serious. "But I'm not willing to risk your safety."

He picked her up by the shoulders. She yelped and immediately started flailing. He tossed her through the vortex, where she landed on the other side on her butt. There was enough time to see a betrayed look on her face before the vortex surged, and collapsed into fading glitter.

"Sorry, Rikka," Percy sighed to the empty air. "It's better this way."

He hoped that somewhere out there, wherever she is, she'd forgive him.

Little does he know that, in accordance with the laws of this world; really, with this universe, Rikka had already forgotten the experience with Percy Jackson, and is already meeting with her friends to walk home with.

Yes, this world is crueler than most, but it still needs the young Percy Jackson, and those like him, to save it.


	2. Chapter 2

The world of Ruin is unforgiving, it does not care if one were to die here, disappearing from their world forever. It will throw whatever hardship it can to exhaust and annihilate those caught here.

Take the case of the mutant leader of the flock, Maximum Ride, for example. It is her destiny to save the world, but she is here, flying for her life.

She had stopped flapping her wings a while ago, opting to glide as far as she can before needing to pick herself back up again. The ocean underneath her crashed and heaved, and the air around her tasted as salty as the ocean water back home, but it was blood red. It boiled, and burned to the touch.

Max wasn't sure how she got here. She had been flying in the same direction for hours now. She woke up at ten thousand feet, plummeting towards the earth at face peeling velocity. She snapped her wings out and started flying on instinct, but had nowhere to go. She kept using her raptor vision to scan the horizon for any sign of land.

Hope swelled in her chest as she spotted a formation. An island! It's small, but at the very least, it'll provide a moments rest. She was sure she had been flying all day.

Perhaps another hour later, Max landed on the island and collapsed into the sand. She groaned and winced at the aches and pains in her wings and shoulders. The pins and needles in her sleeping legs weren't doing many favors for her either.

"So… Hungry…" she complained as her stomach growled loud enough to drown out her other thoughts.

She got up and sat in the sand, and took a moment to gather her thoughts.

"Okay Max…" she said out loud, tilting her head back and closing her eyes, "What were we doing before flying out in the middle of nowhere? Well, let's see… I was in the kitchen, on the noblest of quests to the cookie jar. I thought I heard Fang's voice in the room over, I turned around and then…"

She opened her eyes. "Nothing," she concluded. "Is this the School, maybe…?"

She looked around. Unless God decided to do a palette swap of the world, she wasn't in Kansas anymore. The sky and clouds were shades of purple, the ocean was a blood red and burned to the touch, and the sand she was sitting in right now was crystalline, and sparkled black. She turned to look over her shoulder. Further inland was even more unusual; the grass that was a few feet behind her was a light orange, and the trees even further inland had deep blue leaves hanging off the branches.

"Where in the H-three-double-hockey-sticks am I?" she wondered out loud. This place was just too bizarre.

She looked over her other shoulder and spotted a stone-work cabin. Maybe there _was_ someone here! Some alien or something that can answer questions and not at all kill/eat her!

Yay, delusions.

She got up and walked over to the cabin, warily listening for anyone or anything. She knocked on the cabin door, half expecting the door to slam open in her face.

"Hello…?" she knocked. "Anyone home…?"

She pulled the door open and looked inside. It took a minute for her eyes to adjust, but she saw that the small one roomed cabin was abandoned. It had a fire pit in the corner, next to a makeshift bed, and in the middle of the floor, there was a woven sack just sitting there asking to be investigated.

Because Max was curious beyond reason, she walked over and started digging into the bag.

"Oh my God," she said with sparkles in her eyes. "Thank you."

Three cans of beans and two of peaches; and a knife. It's all she could have asked for. Wasting no time, she cut the first can open before starting to scoop out the contents. She shoveled everything she could into her mouth before moving on to the next can.

When she finished, she leaned back against the wall, rubbing her stomach.

"Well," she said to the open air, "I'm sure that looked attractive already, but…. I'm still hungry."

She sighed. She should get back to searching the island. There had to be somebody somewhere. If there's nobody on the island, then she'll take flight until she sees land again. She'll rest in this cabin until then, get a night's rest (whatever night around here looks like with a purple sky).

She heard something in the distance, away from the crashing red waves, something was rustling the grass. It was crushing leaves somewhere in the forest.

Max got on her toes and listened. She could hear it anymore, and it didn't sound like whoever it was transitioned from grass to sand. She decided to investigate, if it's an animal, she can eat it. If it's a person, then…

She had more than a few questions.

Max crept out of the cabin and immediately took cover in the woods. The footsteps came from further within the forest.

She chose her steps carefully, avoiding leaves and branches that would give her away. She crept closer to the intruder, and paused with a start when she heard him speak.

"Lady Palutena…!" He called out to the heavens. "Lady Palutena…!"

The boy sighed, exhausted. Meanwhile, Max spotted him through the trees. The boy was wearing a black leotard looking thing underneath a Greek styled tunic. A golden wreath circled his head, leather gauntlets were tied around his wrists, and he wore some old fashioned sandals on his feet. On top of that, he had two wings sprouting out of his back.

"This is hopeless," he rubbed the back of his neck, "How am I supposed to get back to Skyworld now?"

Max blinked. Was she looking at…an angel?

So…that settled it, right? She really was dead? She kind of thought heaven would be higher up in the sky, and included a harp upon admission. Unless this was…

"Oh!"

Max jumped as she realized she hadn't been hiding well enough. The angel had turned and spotted her.

"Hi there!" he waved with a cheerful smile and walked over casually.

Max stood up straight and stepped back into a stance. "Back off, pal." She warned.

The angel faltered, and stopped in his tracks. He blinked in confusion.

"You…don't look familiar," he admitted, "Are you a new character? Hm…maybe not. Your clothes are too…well, modern for a setting like mine. Unless this new Kid Icarus game is set in the distant future. In which case: interesting choice Mr. Sakurai…"

"What are you…" Max was getting agitated, "Who- the heck- are you?!"

"Easy, now," the angel put his hands up in defense. "I'm not going to hurt you; angel's honor."

"Who are you?" Max demanded again.

"My name is Pit," the angel answered. "I'm an angel that serves the goddess of light, Lady Palutena, and keep the world from falling to darkness."

Max blinked again. So it was the end times?

"Good job," she commented.

"What about you?" Pit then asked. "What's your name?"

Max hesitated, how much does she want to divulge to this character?

"My name…" she knew she was going to regret this. "Is Maximum Ride."

"Oh," Pit smiled, "Cool name."

"What was that crap you were saying earlier?" Max demanded, "What about my clothes…?"

"Uh… Sorry," he apologized. He has yet to give any sort of notion that he was dangerous. He gave off all the danger of the average fourteen to fifteen year old boy. "I was just trying to…figure out where you came from. You're a hero, right? From another world?"

"Another…what?"

"Well, this place isn't like anything I'm familiar with from my world," Pit explained casually. "And, I'm going to guess you're not from around here either, right?"

Max gave no answer, but Pit continued.

"So this is like…metaphorically speaking of course," Pit clarified, "Calypso's Island, where lost sailors and stuff are stranded. Just more… worldwide, I guess."

"So I'm…" Max started to piece it together in her head. "I'm on some…alien world?"

"Yeah, kinda." Pit shrugged.

Max started to feel weak in the knees. The beans have also seemed to have declared war with the peaches in her stomach; she did not feel too good. She sank to her hands and knees.

"I need a minute," she confessed.

"Got it," Pit leaned against a tree and sat down next to her.

A few moments of silence passed as Max managed to sit back up and lean up against a tree adjacent to Pit. Blue leaves fluttered down around them.

"So you're an angel?" Max questioned.

"Yup."

"Like…from heaven?"

"Uh…" Pit tilted his head to the side. "Skyworld, but I guess it's in that ballpark."

"Oh…" Max wasn't sure how to process any of this.

"Hey, Max?" Pit prompted, "What were you doing, before you came here?"

Max sighed. "I was just…walking around in my own home. You?"

"I was getting Lady Palutena her third cup of coffee," Pit admitted. "I turned around and…Poof, I was here. I dropped the coffee mug somewhere around here… Oh, hey!" he chirped excitedly and reached out next to him. "Here it is!"

Sure enough, there was the coffee mug that he was talking about. On the side of it claimed that the owner was "Skyworld's Best Goddess."

Max buried her faces into her arms and knees. "I want to go home."

"I hear ya," Pit agreed.

Just then, the wind picked up around them, and an echoing call sounded overhead. A flock of crows were flying overhead. Pit looked terrified.

"Get down!" he warned in a low voice. He yanked Max by the arm and pulled her under his tree. Max looked up and saw the shadows of the mysterious flock fly overhead.

"What was that?" Max wondered.

"I think…that is the Flock of War," Pit seemed to guess. "I've seen something similar on my earth. I don't think we can leave without them spotting us. They've flown through here a couple times now. I think they're patrolling the area."

"For us?" Max thought. "Is there anything on this island? Anything at all? Maybe we can… distract them, if not kill them…"

"There's this…altar I don't recognize," Pit told her. "Maybe we can use it."

"Okay…" Max thought hard. Then she noticed just how small his wings were compared to hers. "Can you fly?"

"Uh… Not on my own…?" Pit said sheepishly. "I need the help of a goddess for that…"

Max was starting to get a headache. No more magic crap, please…

"Okay," Max tried to move on, "Weapons?"

"A few…" Pit seemed smug. He handed her a wide looking rifle. "This is a first blade. Easiest thing to use. Pull trigger to fire, hold the button to slash it."

Max took it and examined it. "You mean this thing here…?"

"Watch where you're pointing the-!"

…

A few moments later, and a little bit of practice with the new weapon, Max was up in one of the trees; waiting for the birds to fly by again. She didn't have to wait long. As they started to fly overhead, Max took aim and fired. The bolts of energy gave little to no kickback, and almost immediately they hit their mark. War Birds fell out of the sky and the rest of the flock cawed in panic. They spotted Max in the trees, and started to swarm towards her.

Max took flight, and immediately flew out towards the water. There had to at least be a hundred of those birds, and by the looks of their feathers, they seem to be covered in metal.

The plan was to thin the herd as much as possible before flew back over the island for some support.

Max flapped her wings as hard and as fast as she could, going fast enough to just stay ahead, and flying low enough to be hit by the waves. The burning waters will hopefully take care of the flock's numbers.

Her hopes were confirmed as a red wave reached up and smacked some of the birds out of the sky. The metal crows cried out for help one last time before bursting to flames and submerging under the waves permanently. Two more waves hit before the others got the message and started flying higher. There must be about forty left over.

Among the glittering swarm of feathers, red eyes glared down at her with malice. Max veered right, turning back towards the island, all the while taking pot shots at the swarm to further thin their numbers. She made it back to the island. Her raptor vision spotted Pit, hiding in the trees, with his weapons; something he called Orbitars. Max wasn't sure how they worked, and she didn't really care, as long as they work.

As she passed him, he opened fire. Then he seemed to fire a wall of energy that glittered with a kaleidoscope of colors, but the birds had gotten wiser. They followed Max to the tree line, but they stayed above it enough to dodge any immediate threats. The wall of energy only caught a handful of the birds.

Maybe a little over twenty birds left. That's still enough to tear a man or woman or cute looking bird girl to shreds. They can't get sloppy now.

Max took more shots at the swarm, but it was a smaller target now, and they moved a lot more quickly. Max needs to put more distance between the two of them, ASAP.

She focused on flying and considered using her turbo when she heard Pit down below.

"Max! Max!" He called. "Bring 'em here!"

Max didn't know what he had in mind, but decided to trust him regardless. She dove down into the trees and headed towards Pit's location. He stepped out in her path so fast that their arms brushed up against each other. His face was different from before. Instead of the carefree angel boy Max saw earlier, there was a determined soldier standing with her. She would almost be intimidated if the weapon didn't confuse her so much. It looked like a double ended sword, curved to make a weird shape. Max didn't have time to wonder, though.

She looked behind her and saw him detach the weapon into two. He wielded it like a crouching master of scimitars. He slashed at the birds as they flew past him. Each slash hit a target, and they were knocked aside, dead, as a result.

Max slowed down enough to land and head back towards Pit. Pressing the button, a shining saber emerged from the weapon, and she slashed it in an arc, hitting one of the birds and clipping the wings of two others.

Better than a lightsaber!

Max slashed wildly two more times, but wasn't sure how many she hit. She stood back to back with Pit, scanning the forest.

"You know how many are left?" Pit asked her.

"I think…maybe ten?" Max recalled. "You think they'll just… give up and leave?"

"Uh…Probably not…" Pit shook his head. "Even one of those birds can do a lot of damage by itself. I saw them tear apart this giant thunderbird in seconds. It was big too…"

"Watch out!"

Max saw a flash of metal, and swung the blade on instinct. The bird was split in two and fell to the ground. Its body started smoking and dissipated all together. Pit hit two more, then Max, then back to Pit. It was over as suddenly as it started. The last bird charged them, and, to Max's surprise, broke through the mechanism of the blade she was carrying. She was just a second too slow.

Luckily, Pit caught it and sliced it to pieces. As they breathed and let their guard down, the very last bird dissolved, revealing a glittering jewel in its belly.

"What the heck?" Max leaned down and picked it up. "A ruby?"

"Wait," Pit said, his eyes glittering with realization. "I think I know where that belongs! Come on, follow me!"

Pit didn't even notice the busted weapon he loaned her, so Max just dropped it, leaving it behind. She followed him closely until they reached a stone shrine. It had the altar, but there was a statue of a kneeling soldier that loomed over it. It looked like a Roman Centurion (Hooray for history class).

In the statues helmet was a niche for a trinket; conveniently like the ruby Max was holding currently.

"I bet something happens when you put it in here!" Pit said excitedly.

And if that was the stage for an innuendo then Max wasn't even sure what an innuendo was.

Regardless of the unsaid joke of it all, Max climbed up the statue's side and put the jewel into the hole. The niche sucked it in like a hamster to a vacuum hose, and it didn't let go. The ruby glowed brightly, shining everywhere like a spotlight. Max dropped off the tower, and could barely see Pit standing on the Altar.

"Max!" he called to her. "Max! It's the way home! The light is taking me-"

And suddenly, the light cut out. It took a few minutes to blink the spots out of her eyes, but she was pretty sure Pit had evaporated into thin air. She looked back to the statue, but saw that the Ruby had disappeared too.

"Well," she sighed, "There goes my ride, I guess. Maybe this is why humanity evolved its way to using Uber, instead of these unreliable crystals."

She looked around, doubting she would see any glimmers of hope, but she found one anyway.

Out there, in the distance, there was a beam of light, shooting straight up into the sky; like a beacon.

Max sighed. "Well, it's not like I have any other direction to go. Maybe whoever is shooting that beacon can help me get back home."

Daring to hope is a dangerous thing to do in the World of Ruin. However, with the right decisions, and the right support, hope can be the most dangerous weapon in any one warrior's arsenal.


	3. Chapter 3

The forest spanned far and wide, going on for miles and miles in every direction. The forest of stone pillars, an oddity on any earth, was filled to the brim with creatures that would boggle any mind.

The kill that the young archer Katniss Everdeen bagged was one such creature. It resembled the average deer, but it had an extra set of forelegs. Its eyes glared red, and it antlers were…they were just a mess. It was an entanglement of thorns that wove into itself above the creatures head. She spotted it trying to fight off something resembling a squirrel.

Katniss wasn't sure what to make of the creature, but it tasted good.

She made the fire with some of the thorny black vines that grew overhead. It was almost like the vines were what replaced the leaves in this twisted stone forest. There were plenty of stones to help make a spark, and the vines burned well enough. Now that she fixed the food situation, she needs to figure out the location situation.

She wondered if it even mattered at this point. Former-President Snow had some interesting advice for her to consider, and as soon as she left the garden, she showed up here. Maybe this was her purgatory, a place for her soul to wander until judgement day. She deserved to be here, for her sister, for her friends, and for everyone that had ever died because of her. This was where she belonged.

Her spiraling thought process halted when the grass behind her was crunched by someone's footstep. She sprang up from her seat by the fire, notching an arrow from her bow, and taking aim at the direction of the noise; all in an instant. She would have been an intimidating sight if she didn't have a shred of deer meat hanging off the side of her mouth.

She spotted the shadow of something behind one of the pillars. It seemed to have its hands up in surrender, meaning it could see her before she it.

"Hold on, please," a small voice pleaded, "I don't mean any harm…"

The voice sounded…too small, too young. Katniss lowered her bow.

"Are…" she bit the piece of food in her mouth and stood up. "Are you okay? C-come here into the light, sweetie, so I can see you."

The little boy stepped forward, into the light, revealing that he was even younger than Katniss had anticipated. He looked at her with such desperation and fear that she almost wept at the sight of him. He wore a regular set of jeans, shoes, and a collared orange shirt, and yet he didn't seem like a child of the Capitol. Perhaps someone from the First District? If his attire wasn't strange enough, his hair was a snowy white.

"I'm sorry," Katniss apologized, "I didn't know…"

"That's okay…" The boy looked away sheepishly. "My name is Lincoln. Lincoln Loud." He bravely put his hand out. "What's your name?" he asked.

Katniss gingerly shook it, and introduced herself. "My name is Katniss Everdeen."

She couldn't believe that, after everything she'd been through, she'd get to meet such a friendly child again. She was dumbfounded by the look he was giving her.

"Wait," Lincoln seemed to realize, "I knew you looked familiar! And that gold pin is a dead giveaway! You're from that movie! With the book series!"

Katniss blinked, but held her hands up in warning. "Hold on now," she told him, "Let's keep our voices down. We don't want any unwanted attention."

"Oh!" Lincoln crouched, covering his mouth and speaking in a whisper. "Sorry…"

"It's okay," Katniss looked to the meat still cooking on a stick. "You hungry?"

Lincoln's mouth seemed to water, if the drool dripping off the side of his mouth is anything to go by.

"Yes, please," he said, "I haven't had dinner yet."

Katniss gave him the stick of meat and the two of them sat down in silence. The only sound between the two was happily munching on their meals.

"So…" Katniss found herself curious, "What's this about a movie?"

"Oh, uh…" He shied away.

Eventually, he told her. How from where he's from, Katniss and her life following the events at the reaping, were written down as books for audiences to read. Later, and more recently, those books were adapted to films.

Katniss wasn't sure how to process this. Who has been watching her?

"Where…are you from, Lincoln?"

"Royal Woods," he answered matter of fact. "I know this is going to sound weird, but I think we're both on another planet."

Katniss blinked. "I-is that so?"

"Yeah," Lincoln, put his head in one hand. "Lisa said she was helping a bunch of scientists with a 'Multiverse Theory,' or something like that. I read a bunch of comics, and trust me; those guys cross dimensions, like, _all_ the time."

"I…see…" Katniss tried to wrap her head around it. Not much in the way of education beyond high school in District 12. Wouldn't want anyone getting ideas too big to handle. And while the black market sold farfetched stories of incredible impossibilities, those stories were meant for children. A small distraction for losing a friend, or a brother, or a sister.

"Who's…Lisa?" Katniss decided to change the subject.

"Oh, she's one of my sisters." Lincoln answered proudly.

"One of?" Katniss raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, yeah," he smiled, "I have ten crazy sisters."

She was speechless. Ten…eleven children? How is that even…? How did his mom…? How do they even…?

" _I guess this proves it."_ Katniss thought to herself. " _No mother from_ her _earth would have so many children, only to gamble them all to the games._ _No parent would put themselves though the pain._ "

"Do you…" Katniss dared to ask. "Do you know my story, then? From start to finish?"

Lincoln shook his head. "I saw the first movie…but it really wasn't my thing. No offense."

Katniss nodded solemnly. "Why don't you tell me about your sisters? I'd love to hear about them."

He nodded. Excitedly, he launched into explaining his home life. He talked about Lori, and her boyfriend Bobby. He talked about Leni, and her love of fashion, and how she was often left confused by the silliest of things. Luna loved to make music, and Luan loved to make people laugh. Lynn played in every sports team in the neighborhood, while Lucy loved poetry and vampire romance novels. Lola and Lana were twins; one competed in beauty pageants, while the other loved using tools to fix things. The aforementioned Lisa was a child prodigy, with an intelligent mind beyond her years. Lily, the youngest at eight months, was a little trouble maker. Lincoln talked so highly of his family that it melted Katniss' heart.

Suddenly, Lincoln stopped. "Hey…" he looked at her with concern. "Are you okay?"

Katniss finally noticed that her cheeks were wet. She wiped her eyes on her sleeve, and gave an ugly sniff in an attempt to hide her sorrow.

"Sorry," she apologized, "I just…want to go home."

She looked back to him and smiled, though he didn't look quite so convinced.

"My sister is-" she started

" _Don't you dare_ ," she scolded herself, " _If you scare this little boy by telling him that your sister is dead, I swear, I will swallow that explosive arrow still in your quiver; don't you dare tell him Katniss Everdeen._ "

"-training to become a nurse," Katniss finished the sentence. "She's…a lot braver than I am."

"Oh," Lincoln relaxed a little. "I guess you just miss her, huh?"

"Yeah," Katniss sighed. "I do."

They sat in silence for a few moments. Digesting information.

"How am I…" Lincoln thought aloud, "How are we... supposed to get back home?"

"Don't worry about it, sweetheart," Katniss assured him. "Just rest up a bit. We'll start our search in the morning. I'll get you home, even if it kills me."

Lincoln yawned and stretched out his arms. "I hope not," he said in the middle of his stretch, "You have people waiting on you too."

He curled up on his side, facing the fire. Katniss had to fight a sob. She managed to choke it back and began her watch over the forest. No one else was going to die.

Not while she was awake.

…

They started their trek through the forest. Lincoln didn't know how to tread lightly, but that could be forgiven, as they weren't trying to hunt. At least not yet.

"So, uh," Lincoln called from behind. "Where are we headed?"

"When I first got here," Katniss told him. "I was on a beach on the edge of this forest."

"Oh yeah?"

"There was a large city out on the water," she told him. "A city I do not recognize."

"Why are we going there?"

"Hopefully, there will be someone there who can give some answers."

"Why didn't you go there in the first place?" Lincoln asked curiously.

" _Because I had spent the better half of a week raiding and killing in the Capitol_." Katniss thought inwardly.

She coughed. "Because I didn't trust the place at first," she answered, "I felt more comfortable with the forest. Or, what I thought was a forest. It was dark."

"Oh…"

They traveled, but something gave them pause. Something was coming through here. Katniss grabbed Lincoln and hid from the source of the noise. It was bounding its way here, on horseback.

She spotted the culprits. Four…five riders on horses. The riders had leathery green skin, and were only four foot tall. They had tails, pointy ears, and blank, yellow eyes. With their fangs they chittered among themselves like monkeys. Two of them hit each other like they were brothers, and had clubs resting on their backs. One had a spear and carried itself like a soldier. Another one had a bow and a quiver of arrows, and scanned the stone forest carefully.

The one riding in front a large slab of metal hanging around his neck. He held a dagger, but in his hands it could act as a sword. The sword was sharp on one side, and would make for a nasty cleaver.

"Those things look like Goblins," Lincoln whispered. "From that fantasy board game back home."

"Looks like they're hunting," Katniss answered, keeping an eye on them, but also staying out of sight.

"What do we do?"

Those horses could cover ground quicker than Katniss was comfortable with. And that archer is perhaps the most dangerous among them. If Katniss was alone, she could probably take them, but now she's working to protect this small child.

"We stay quiet," Katniss whispered even lower, "And we keep moving until they're out of sight. Stay close to me, okay?"

Lincoln nodded. Katniss placed an arm over his shoulders, ready to guide him.

Katniss saw their opportunity, and launched forward, ducking behind another pillar.

The goblins didn't give any indication that they noticed. The thorns above gave them excellent shade, and hid them well, only select rays of light came through. This black Mockingjay armor shrouded her as well. They should be able to escape with a fight. As long as Katniss keeps herself between the goblins and Lincoln, they won't spot his otherwise brightly colored shirt.

They made it to the left flank of the goblins' party. Just a few more dashes, and they'll be behind them, and- with any luck- they'll home free.

Unfortunately, fate was not being kind, today.

Lincoln tripped on a stone, falling face first into the ground with a loud "Oof!"

Katniss turned towards the goblins. The two parties seemed to freeze in place for three silent seconds. Katniss pulled her bow and notched an arrow. The goblin leader shouted an order in some scratchy language. Katniss fired the first arrow, which went through one goblin's thin neck and landed in the chest of the one sitting next to it, killing the two brothers. Their horses were startled and scampered off.

"Go!" Katniss ordered the boy. "Run!"

Lincoln scrambled up and sprinted, allowing Katniss to focus on the fight.

With a path cleared, the lancer lower his weapon and charged her with a screech. Katniss notched another arrow and fired. She couldn't afford to miss a single shot.

The arrow found itself sprouted in the lancer's head, and he slumped forward, dropping his sword and harmlessly riding past her.

Two new problems showed themselves in the span of seconds. The leader was in the process of retrieving a conch shell, undoubtedly a horn for nearby allies. Meanwhile, the archer was taking aim at her.

Katniss pulled another arrow, but the archer fired. The arrow grazed her side, scraping her armor. She ducked behind a pillar, to see that Lincoln had disappeared completely. She didn't want him running off too far, but anywhere had to be better than here.

The leader blew his horn, sounding an alarm. Katniss used her latest arrow to silence him, sticking him in the head. If their friends heard that, they won't be able to pinpoint their location quite so easily. He slumped off his saddle unceremoniously, and Katniss reloaded back in cover. There was a silence between her and the last creature. It was waiting for her to make a move.

"I don't suppose you understand me, do you?" she called out.

The thing didn't answer. It seemed somewhat more intelligent than the others.

"I've heard people call me an archer," Katniss confessed. "Like that title makes me something more than what I am. Truth is; I'm not an archer."

She took a breath. "I'm a hunter."

She stepped out and fired, and her opponent fired as well. A few seconds passed, until one of them coughed up blood. The goblin looked down, seeing the arrow sprouting from its chest. It fell back, dead, while Katniss breathed. She looked for the arrow that almost killed her, and found it on the ground. It had blood on it, but she didn't feel anything until she felt the wetness on her cheek. That arrow cut her a few centimeters underneath her eyeball. She could still see, so she guessed it wasn't that serious.

She sighed. Wait, where was Lincoln?

"Lincoln?" She called out.

No answer.

"Lincoln?!" she shouted. "Where are you?!"

She about to go sprinting in the direction he ran, but he poked his head out from behind a distant pillar.

"Is it over?" he asked.

Katniss breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes," she said, "I think it's over, for now."

Lincoln stepped out, looking over the carnage.

"The goblins…" he noted.

Katniss rushed over to him and turned his head away from the scene. "I know, buddy," she told him, "Just don't-"

"No! Katniss," he fought her, "Look!"

She looked to what he was pointing to. The bodies left over were turning black. They disappeared, turning into puffs of black smoke that seemed to be absorbed from the ground. The only things left over were the used arrows and some other metals that had been on the goblins' person.

"I don't think bodies are supposed to do… _that_. Right?" Lincoln asked uncertainly.

"No," Katniss said, "They certainly do not."

Katniss took the opportunity to retrieve her arrows, and Lincoln picked something up off the ground.

"Hey…" he said, his eyes sparkled with recognition, "I know where this goes!"

Katniss looked to the excited boy and he held up his prize proudly. It was a red jewel, a shard of a ruby, perhaps. One of the goblins had that?

"C'mon!" Lincoln grabbed her wrist and pulled her along. "This way!"

He led her for maybe another mile, until an opening in the stone forest circled around an archway of stone bricks, balanced on two chunks of rock with inscriptions on the side of them. Lincoln wasted no time, running around the structure looking for something.

"I woke up here," Lincoln told her, "Didn't know what this thing was, or whether or not I was dreaming. But I saw a slot on this thing. Right…Here!"

Katniss walked around in time to see his put the ruby in a fitting little niche. The ruby glowed, and the arch was filled with something Katniss had not seen on this world; sunlight.

It was almost blinding, but their eyes soon readjusted. Lincoln smiled at her.

"Nice work," Katniss praised. "I think I see a house in there…"

"That's _my_ house!" Lincoln exclaimed.

"I…think I see my home too…" Katniss noted. "Maybe we should go one at a time. Just to be safe."

"Okay…" Lincoln hesitated. He turned and hugged Katniss tightly. "Good luck! Thanks for looking out for me. I'm going to tell my sisters all about you!"

"It was good to meet you, Lincoln," Katniss hugged him tightly back. "Take care of your sisters, would you? Family needs to stick together."

"Will do!" he saluted. He then ran, fearlessly, optimistically, into the light, disappearing into its rays.

Katniss took a breath, ready to step into the light. She was ready to face her world, and maybe she could come to terms with her actions.

Fate is cruel.

Suddenly, the sound of glass shattering sounded next to her. The light faded and she turned to see an arrow sticking out of the niche, with the shattered jewel falling to pieces around it. She turned to see a charging army of goblins, screeching, waving swords, and taking aim.

Katniss cursed under her breath, and started running. She'd never make it to that island city, but that bright beacon in the distance might provide refuge.

The only thing she could hope to do is to not get surrounded by these freaks of nature.


	4. Chapter 4

The adolescent hero stands against the monstrous villain, using magic words to gain any advantage. Lives fall on his or her shoulders.

What hero did you imagine just then? Do you have one, or several? These subtle differences mean nothing to the World of Ruin. All will be consumed by this evil world.

One way, or another.

The Null Labyrinth is vast, and expansive. It has many entrances, but only one exit.

Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, found himself traveling through the Null Labyrinth. He woke up outside, sure that he was resting in Hogwarts when he went to sleep. Now he was here, with the only sign of any civilization was a shining beacon in the distance. He woke up in the dirt, under a purple sky, at the edge of a sunken canyon. The canyon looked like a complex maze, completely filled in with some manmade tunnels. He saw an opening to the maddening pathway down below, but he didn't like the look of it.

"Perhaps it'd be better to go around the mechanism," he thought to himself.

He looked to the left, but the maze reached out for miles. He looked to the right, and only saw more of the same. He sighed. He decided to try again.

"Accio Firebolt!" he cast, waving his wand with precision. He waited, though he was convinced that it wasn't coming. The sign next to him wasn't helping the idea either.

It was made out of stone, and it had "No Magic Beyond This Point" etched into it. Harry thought at first that there was some crazy muggle had made the sign and placed it here. Now he was starting to think that it was wasn't so much as giving him a rule, as much as it was just stating a fact. There _is no_ magic beyond this point.

He didn't like this, but he felt a pull in his heart, a pull towards that light in the distance. He needed to get there, as quickly as possible.

Harry adjusted his glasses and examined the crossing tunnels from above. He kept mentally tracing the tunnels until he found a path that looked promising.

"Well," Harry tried to motivate himself. "Let's get on with it, then."

He began to walk down the steep hill that lead to an open door, but after taking a couple of steps, he slipped. He fell on his butt and slid through the mud, sliding right up to the entrance of the network. He felt the transition from mud to stone, and immediately tried to turn around to get back out. Unfortunately, the doors to the maze forcibly slammed shut behind him. A clunking sound echoed around Harry's ears, like the world's largest lock got shut tight.

Harry slammed the stone floor and cursed, foully. He took a moment to calm down, and looked at his surroundings. A few touches lit up the corridor, but they were spaced out every mile or so.

"Lumos," Harry flicked his wand, only to be reminded of the futility of the act. "Brilliant…"

Harry got up and made his way to the torch. He picked it up and examined the place. "Carry on, carry on."

An hour later, he realized his mistake. Was it two rights, and a left…? Or was he at the part where they just kept going straight? He could not remember where he was by the mental map in his head. He had to face it, he was completely lost.

His stomach growled with impatience. How was he supposed to get out of here?

The wind picked up in his ears. He froze as he heard a voice in the distance. He turned, holding his breath in order to hear it again.

There it was! He couldn't make out exactly what she was saying, but there was _definitely_ someone else here. He sprinted, to the sound of the voice, pausing at every intersection to listen again. He was getting closer, and she was getting louder. She was so close by!

"Hello…?" Harry called out. With her so close by, maybe they can find each other now.

There was a tense pause, and then an unsure answer. "…Hello?"

"Hello?" Harry repeated, his heart thumping. He moved towards the echoes, carefully narrowing down where the voice was coming from. He asked, "Is anyone there?"

"Yes," the little girl sounded hesitant. Why wouldn't she be? "Who are you? Are you a monster?"

Harry blinked. "No, I'm not a monster. My name is Harry Potter. What's your name?"

He waited next to a T intersection, where his only options were to go strait, or turn right.

"Harry…" she trailed off. Is she familiar with him? Is she a witch?

"You're one of those monsters!" she suddenly declared. "You're just trying to trick me!"

Harry once again mentally kicked himself. He should have known there'd be a monster or killer down here. There was that one legend with the Minotaur, and whatnot. Maybe he was in such a place right now.

"I'm not trying to trick you!" Harry tried to assure her. She was to the right. There was light coming out of a room to the left. Is that where she's hiding? "My name is actually Harry Potter! I'm…trying to help…"

He stopped in front of the room. He listened for the girl's response.

"…Mary."

She was right here, in this room. Harry stepped forward, into the light of a powerful lamp. Harry wasn't sure where the technology was coming from, but it was proof that somebody _had_ built this place. The room was built like some kind of lounge. The domed room had full bookshelves against one section of the wall. A wooden rocking chair sat on a circle carpet with a nightstand. Several other stands decorated the rest of the room.

"Mary," Harry repeated, "And where are you right now, Mary?"

A small shadow shifted behind the rocking chair (really, the only hiding spot in the entire room). Harry watched as a little girl, maybe eight or nine years old, stand up and walked out toward him. Her hands were splayed outwards, her stance seemed cautious.

Nothing about her screamed "Witch," at first. Perhaps she was a Muggle-born. She looked unharmed, thank the heavens.

"Show your forehead," the child demanded. Behind her messy, disheveled hair, she looked fierce.

Harry, not sure why the child was threatening him, pulled his hair back, exposing the lightning bolt scar on his head.

The girl, Mary, gasped. "You're…" She stammered. "You're real?"

Harry nodded. "Yes?"

Suddenly, Mary tensed up. "Get over here, quickly!" she said in a hushed voice.

Harry stalled. He was in a hurry to get here because she sounded so young, and she was shouting something desperately, but now… he wasn't so sure who this girl was.

Regardless, he followed her and knelt next to her behind the chair.

A pattern of slow thuds made their way through the hallway; heavy footsteps, with something metal scrapping the stone floor. Harry's arms and legs went stiff and rigid, waiting for the intruder to pass by.

Finally, he appeared in the doorway, though he made no move to enter or turn in their direction. The man wore little more than rags, and chains hung loose on his frame; jingling with every step. A broad axe dragged the floor in his right hand. His long hair, bunched in dreadlocks, hid his face from view. However, from what gray skin Harry could see, he imagined it was just as leathery, as well as cracked and bleeding in some places.

When the creature was out of sight, Harry spoke in a voice low enough so that it couldn't be heard over the scraping axe. "How long has _he_ been walking around?"

The little girl shrugged, neither one of them taking their eyes off of the doorway.

"Not sure," Mary answered. "But he's been walking by more and more frequently now. This would all be a lot easier to deal with if I had my powers."

Harry nodded. "Right," he let out a breath and stood up slowly, "Let's get a move on, then."

They silently moved into the hallway, tiptoeing _away_ from the psycho killer. While wandering the halls, Harry pulled out the wand in his pocket, for all the good it would do for him.

"Can you use magic?" Mary asked over her shoulder.

"No," Harry waved the thing uselessly, "Still nothing."

"Why have it out, then?" Mary questioned.

"Hey," Harry grinned, "Don't underestimate a wand. I remember going up against this troll when I was twelve years old."

Mary seemed to wait for him to continue.

"My friend, Ron, and I tracked him down to the girl's lavatory-"

"You went into the girl's _bathroom_?" Mary gasped.

"We were looking for our other friend, Hermione," Harry elaborated. "The troll found her first, and-"

"Wait," Mary interrupted again, "You fought a big ugly troll _without_ magic?"

"Well," Harry answered sheepishly, "No…but I did shove my wand up his nose."

" _Ew_ …." Mary laughed.

Harry was glad that, if they were to meet their end here, he at least got this nice little girl to laugh.

"So…" Harry began to wonder, "You have powers too?"

"Yeah," Mary agreed. "My brother and I have fought a _ton_ of bad guys."

She counted on her fingers. "Mr. Mind, Blaze and Satanus, the Four Horsemen, Demon Cults, the Monster Society, Dr. Sivanna…"

She paused. "And then there's Black Adam."

"Sorry," Harry didn't quite catch that. "Who?"

"Black Adam is the _worst_ super villain we've ever had to face. All he wants to do is kill my brother! _And_ take over the world from his home city in Egypt."

"...I can strangely relate." Harry commented.

Suddenly, Mary straightened up, holding her hand up like a soldier.

"Hold up," Mary noted, "Do you hear that?"

Harry listened intently, pausing for a moment. For a brief moment, he thought the axe murderer was making his way through here. Fortunately, it was a low buzz that made him the tiniest bit nauseous.

"Yeah," he agreed. "I haven't heard anything quite like that; magic or muggle made."

"I say we follow it," Mary suddenly decided.

Harry noticed how mature Mary was. She was so young, but she took charge of the situation. Almost like Hermione…

Who was this girl?

"Okay," Harry agreed. It's not like they had any better options. It was either follow that noise or wait until they run into the psycho killer.

It took them almost an hour, but they came across the source of the buzzing. As they grew closer, the noise had grown into a deafening roar. The pair entered the room; an open dome reaching up to maybe forty feet at the center. Harry wasn't sure where this place from the visual map in his head. He was pretty sure there were no domes from the mess of hallways.

The room was empty, except for the contraption at the center. It was wooden, but it moved like a machine. Its cylinder was a thick tree trunk, cutting off at twenty feet. At the center of the towering tree trunk, a two pronged fork spun at the center, which seemed to be the source of the noise.

"Merlin's bloody beard," Harry was astounded by what he was seeing. He spoke over the noise. "What madness is this?"

"Look!" Mary pointed at the base. Blue light was silhouetted in a square at the base of the structure; suggesting some sort of opening or hatch. "Maybe we could…"

Open it? Unleash the energy that this impossible machine has been storing for who knows how long?

Still, it was better than nothing.

"Let's try to be careful, though!" Harry answered, "We don't want to somehow make things-"

A flash of metal caught his eye. All the hairs on his arms and neck stood on end, and his instincts screamed in his head. He ducked in time to feel the rush of air that passed overhead, and he felt the metal axe bury itself into the stone frame. The Axe Killer had found them, its burning eyes bore into Harry's through his hair, resenting him for ever having lived.

"Run!" Harry backed away. Mary sprinted past him to the machine. He wasn't sure what he could do, but he had to buy time for Mary to escape.

"Come on ugly," Harry taunted the freak. "Hit me with your best shot."

Axe Killer pulled and yanked on his weapon, finally pulling it out of the wall. Now that they were standing face to face, Harry noted the fact that the monster's mouth was stitched shut like a human ragdoll. He also noticed how there were markings of runes etched into the flat of the axe's blade. Now they burned blue with menacing energy, while the sharp ends of the blade turned orange like it was pulled fresh out of a fire.

"…Bugger me…" Harry cursed under his breath.

He didn't dare take his eyes off the Killer, as he swung the axe in a wide arc, trying to take his head, or his legs. Harry ducked and skipped away accordingly, beads of sweat dripping down the sides of his face.

"I've faced Dementors," Harry's own words stirred courage in his chest. "And Witches, and Death Eaters. I am _not_ going to die at the hands of some random killer who got lucky."

The killer only groaned in disapproval.

Harry dared to glance back at the little girl. She was at the panel at the front of the machine, trying to pry it open with her fingers.

Harry looked back to his opponent, just in time to fall back as he swung the axe again. He fell on his rump and the thug kept the momentum going, positioning the axe over his head.

Just before he could bring it down and split Harry in two, distant thunder boomed and echoed through the room. The killer gave pause to look up at the source.

" ** _SHAZAM!_** "

Suddenly, a flash of red and white zipped overhead, decking the killer and sending him tumbling across the floor before slamming into the door frame.

Mary had a change of clothes on. Her jeans and pink jacket had been replaced by a red dress and yellow sash. Her white cape was wrapped across her shoulders with a golden rope.

She turned, her eyes searching Harry over in a panic.

"Okay," she said, "You alright?"

Harry nodded.

"I…" Harry was still stunned. "I didn't think that you had _that_ kind of magic."

Mary smiled. "I can do lots of things as Mary Marvel," she explained. "But let's handle the big ugly monster first, though."

Harry nodded and stood back up. The killer was standing back up and groaning.

"Go get your magic from the machine," Mary instructed. "I'll handle this R-rated knock off."

"Be right back," Harry promised.

As he ran across the room to the machine, he could hear Mary's bravado.

"You think you're so tough?" Mary taunted, "I have the wisdom of Solomon! The strength of Hercules! The power of Zeus! And a bunch of other powers that make a really neat acronym! And I'm gonna use them all to take you down!"

The sound that exited the monster's mouth in response almost caused Harry to fall in fear. The monster, up to this point, had kept its mouth shut, thanks to the stitches in place. He imagined that those stitches are gone now, and his menacing cry reverberated off the walls, vibrating off his spine.

Harry stumbled, but kept running to the machine. The hatch wasn't open, but the silhouette of light hadn't dimmed at all. How did Mary get her powers without opening the hatch?

Harry got up to it and got his answer. There was a locked latch over the door, preventing it from being opened without some sort of key. The wooden hatch was loose, though. Mary must have stuck her hand in the opening and got her powers that way. Harry's hands were a bit too big to squeeze through the opening, but luckily, he didn't need to use his hand.

Harry pulled his wand out and slid it through the cracks of the hatch.

" _Accio_." He whispered.

Suddenly, he felt a surge of energy like electricity coursing up his arm and through his body. There was no question about it; he had his powers back.

He turned back to the fight. The Killer was taking the punches and kicks rather well, hardly being phased or moved by them. Was Mary losing steam?

"Mary! Move!" Harry called out.

After a quick glance over her shoulder, Mary backed off, giving Harry a clear line of sight for his target.

" _Wingardium…Leviosa!"_ Harry cast.

The killer took a step back, like he'd been hit with something; then his feet started to leave the ground. The killer started thrashing in his grasp.

A bead of sweat started to roll down Harry's temple. Whatever power he had gotten, the machine was quickly draining him of his magic. He had to work quickly.

He brought the killer in closer, slamming him to the ground in front of the hatch.

" _Alohamora_!"

The lock evaporated, and the hatch flung itself open, spilling magic energy out like a bursting dam.

It washed over the floor and violently overtook the killer. With a final cry of outrage, its skin and bones and clothes burned away like paper in a fire place.

The magic seemed to seep into the ground as the impossible machine behind Harry grinded to a halt. Mary drifted over, as the commotion seems to have ended.

"I guess the commotion has ended," she huffed.

"Yeah," Harry breathed a sigh of relief. "I guess so. Your powers working alright?"

"Yeah," Mary sighed. "I can get back home by flying through the Rock of Eternity, but I don't know how to get _you_ home…"

"Hey, don't worry about it," Harry waved his hand over the matter, as though he already had a plan in mind; instead of a continuous scream that persisted even now. "I have a hunch of where to go."

"Just one favor," Harry continued. "Could you punch a hole in the roof?"

Mary smiled, and tossed her head back.

" ** _Shazam!_** "

Thunder boomed, and a section of the roof collapsed overhead. A hole big enough to fit a car through now existed overhead.

"That'll do," Harry approved. He pointed his wand to the sky and flicked it. " _Accio, Firebolt_."

Within seconds, Harry's broom flew down from God-knows-where and hovered patiently next to him. He got on and the pair flew up, out of the tunnels and caves and into the open sky.

"Well," Mary said, "I'll be off, then. Good luck!"

Harry waved, and watched as she flew off at the speed of lightning, becoming a twinkling blue star in the distance.

"Well," Harry sighed, "That was something else."

He looked back to the beacon at the horizon's edge.

"It couldn't _possibly_ get any crazier than this," Harry tried to reassure himself.

How wrong he would be. In the world of Ruin, one must always expect the unexpected.

Lest they perish.


	5. Chapter 5

The tower seemed to go upwards forever, the top of it emitted the beacon that drew him here.

This tower- this whole country really- disturbed Alek deeply. His world was one of technological marvel, and scientific wonder. Clanker nations built metal ships that crawled the countryside, and Darwinist Republics mix and weave the strands of life to create impossible beasts. Unfortunately, the two varied sides don't get along that well. One side accused the other of pollution, while the other accused the former of creating unholy abominations. After years of arguing and debates, war ignited across all of Europe; setting the whole globe on fire.

This war swept Alek up in a series of events that pushed him to the end of his wits. Of course, it ended well enough; with him meeting Deryn, though now…

How did he get here? Alek could safely say he'd had been all over the world, hardly a world left on the map he hadn't passed through. So, unless the second coming of Christ occurred while Alek left for the latrines, he has to consider that he might not be on Earth anymore.

What was that philosopher's name? Whatever conclusion remains, however absurd, must be the truth?

"God's Wounds," Alek swore as he rubbed his eyes.

He refocused his attention on the tower. It had been several hours since his "arrival" to this place. The black tower somehow looked less intimidating from afar; and now it loomed over Alek like it would fall over on top of him.

"Is there a way up?"

Alek spun around, the voice taking him completely by surprise. A young boy- about his age, perhaps younger- approached him. Alek wasn't sure how he snuck up on him so swiftly, and he wasn't sure exactly what to make of him. He had darker skin, a button up shirt, jeans, and a satchel that hung over his shoulder.

"I'm not sure," Alek answered, "I stopped to rest for a moment."

The boy nodded. His eyes were wide, intelligent, and full of worry. Alek wondered where he came from.

"Do you know what nation we're standing in?" Alek questioned him. His hand moved on its own, resting on the handle of his saber. This saber belonged to his father. What scared Alek about that was that he threw the blade away a long, long time ago. Yet, as he walked through this wasteland, he noticed the weight of it swinging at his side. He had no earthly idea how it got there, or how his old princely formal wear found themselves on his person. It was like an invisible force had dressed him in the blink of an eye.

The boy chuckled without humor. "Nation?" he echoed, "I was thinking what _world_ we're in."

"You mean… Another realm?" Alek wondered. "How is such a thing possible?"

He shook his head. "Not sure," he answered. "I came here cause of the tower. It's just this…"

He gestured to his own torso. Alek understood.

"A feeling in your chest," Alek finished the thought, "A pull in your stomach."

"Exactly," he agreed. "I was hoping to get some answers here, and you can stop resting your hand on the sword, buddy."

Alek looked down and saw that he was thumbing the thing out of its scabbard.

"Sorry," he blinked. "It's…been a rather unpleasant day for me. You would be the first friendly face I've seen."

"Right back at you," he looked around for a flat rock and sat down, resting his feet.

Alek examined him. He certainly didn't seem like a threat, if he's leaving himself open like this. He sat down on a rock across from him.

"Aleksander," Alek introduced himself.

"Carter Kane," The boy reached out his hand and Alek shook it.

"Forgive me," Alek then asked, "but…You're American?"

The boy raised an eyebrow at him. "…Yeah?"

"Are you a cowboy or a miner?"

"What?" The boy looked confused.

"You wear jeans," Alek noted, "Yet your shirt and bag look as though they belong to a college professor."

The boy stared at Alek as though he were a madman.

"Well…" He pulled at the leg of his jeans, "These are made out of cotton, so…no, they wouldn't do much good as cowboy pants. Or a miner's pants."

"Ah," Alek felt awkward. He was just trying to learn more about this new traveler, and yet he felt as though he made a fool of himself, somehow.

"How about you?" Carter countered. "What's up with the German uniform?"

"German?" Alek blinked. "I am Austrian."

Carter shrugged, as though the difference made none to him.

"All I'm saying is," Carter continued, "You looked like you walked off the set for a reenactment of World War II."

Alek blinked. "…Beg Pardon?"

"You know," Carter gave him another weird look. "World War I, World War II; two of the bloodiest conflicts in human history? Pretty significant eras all around?"

Alek's skin turned cold. His face went numb. Any word or argument he could have thought up died in his throat. He found himself leaning forward, afraid he'd spew more than words at the ground.

"A second World War…" he finally choked out. "H-how did this…"

"Whoa," Carter held a hand out, ready to catch him. "You okay?"

"Carter," Alek fought to focus, "What year is it? Right now, what year is it?"

Carter blinked, skeptically, but answered.

"That's not…" Alek thought he was going to break down. "The year is 1916. The war ended a year ago."

"That's…" Carter thought for a moment, "If I'm remembering history correctly… The first war ended in 1918: three years later."

They both remained silent as they processed the information. Alek what to sob. His entire adventure, all an effort to end a war that was ruining the lives of millions, was completely undone! A second world war… what fresh hell did this war bring now?!

"Wait," Carter said, "This is another world, right?"

Carter had raised his hands out and gestured to the purple sky and the vast wastelands around them. Alek nodded to show he understood.

"Then… That must mean that we come from two different worlds as well," Carter deduced. "Your world is my world's past, and my world is… "a version" of your world's future."

Carter held his hands out like he was awkwardly presenting the idea on a stage. Alek wasn't so deluded that he didn't recognize the attempt to make him feel better. It did little to calm his nerves, but he was grateful for the effort.

"Yes," he found himself agreeing, "My future doesn't have to be war. We are of two different worlds, with two different histories."

Carter nodded. Alek nodded. They both remained silent.

"My father…" Alek then spoke. "Was a peace-talker. He was assassinated so that my country could start that war."

Carter nodded, though he seemed to be fighting to say something.

"I lost my dad too," he confessed. "And my mom. It's just me and my sister. And our Uncle Amos."

Alek nodded, smiling. He remember pestering his mother for a baby brother, but he was eventually talked out of it. Now he found himself wishing for a sibling again, like an innocent child that knew nothing of the world.

They looked to the tower.

"You didn't happen to find a door before, did you?" Carter questioned.

"No," Alek answered, "I had only just arrived here. I was just…sizing it up, I suppose."

"Wait. What's that?" He pointed to the base of the tower.

Alek followed the gaze and saw a door, just sitting there, like it had been there all this time.

"That wasn't there before," Alek stated.

"Hey man," Carter waved the notion away, "It happens. I look over obvious things too. Sadie always-"

"Mr. Kane," Alek snapped at him. "I'm telling you; that door was not there a minute ago."

"Alright, alright, alright," Carter put his hands up in defense. "Let's just go check it out."

They stood up and stretched their legs. The tower loomed over them; this could be a long walk to the top.

Alek walked over to the door and opened it, but paused at the sight.

"What in God's name…"

He couldn't wrap his head around it. Instead of showing the interior of the tower itself, like any other rational building that obeys the laws of physics, it opened up to a roof of the tower. Alek could see the horizon in the distance, and the cold wind dug into his skin from the opening. At the center of the roof, a raging white inferno spiraled into the sky; creating the beacon Alek had been blindly following.

"How the-" Alek examined the door. "Where did-"

"Dude," Carter patted his shoulder, "It's not worth the brain-power. Let's just say it's weird, and move on."

Alek's mind was smoking. The gears turned to try and figure out what was happening in front of him, but Carter pushed him past it. They stepped through the door and it slammed shut behind them.

"Everyone's here," a female voice echoed over the roar of the flames. "I suppose this beacon has served its purpose."

The fires died down, vanishing into nothing at the center. The wind breezed through the open area. The only safety guides surrounding the edges were six spires that towered forty feet further into the air. At these individual spires, four other strange characters stood at their bases.

"Good," one of the boys stated. He wore glasses and had an English accent. "All of that light is really tough on the eyes."

The young man looked about a year or so older than Alek. His piercing green eyes were somewhat impatient as he scanned the roof, his eyes landing on Alek and Carter.

"Can the staff meeting wait a little longer?" A girl across the former fire pit was stretching like she just woke from a nap. "Or at least till after lunch?"

"I don't think the bonfire goddess cares," the other boy said. This one wore a rather hideous orange shirt.

"All of you; shut up and listen," the other girl spoke. Her eyes were fierce with impatience.

A light shined at the center, and a girl in a white dress stood in its place.

"Are you…an angel?" Alek felt stupid for asking the question, but no one seemed to judge him for it.

The girl turned to him and gave a smile that could melt even the coldest heart.

"No, Aleksander," she answered, "I am not an angel. And I am also not a goddess. I am…an Outsider."

"I assume you're the one who summoned us here?" Carter stood next to Alek, sizing her up.

"Yes," the girl nodded, but then shook her head, "And no. I am sorry, but this will take a minute to explain…"

"Go ahead," the orange shirt boy crossed his arms impatiently. "We'll wait."

The girl sighed. "My brother and I… We are terrible people. We have the unique abilities to summon monsters, warriors, and heroes to fight in any battle we choose. With that power, we staged wars for our own amusement. Hundreds of thousands of people died for no real reason at all." She paused to wipe her eyes with her arm.

"My brother and I were exiled for our crimes; forced to float in the void, the spaces between worlds. While I accepted my punishment, my brother only grew in his hatred. I tried to stop him, but he went and…created something. All by himself."

"What did he make?" Alek asked her.

She looked at him sorrowfully. "You've all been walking on it to this tower," she answered.

The six adolescents looked at each other.

"He…created this place?" the boy with glasses said. "A whole planet?"

"Yes," the girl nodded. "A world of hatred. A world of death. A world of Ruin." She looked up to them, a more determined look in her eye. "This world has already claimed the lives of several heroes, and their absences are already being felt throughout the multiverse; all the way back to Earth Prime. I summoned you six here- six young heroes- not to save the world, but to destroy it."

She graced her hand to the young men and women, introducing them.

"Percy Jackson, the Son of Poseidon.

Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived.

Katniss Everdeen, the Girl on Fire.

Maximum Ride, the Leader of the Flock.

Carter Kane, the Eye of Horus.

And, of course, Aleksandar of Hohenburg, the former Prince of Austria."

Her eyes gleamed with joy as she spoke each other their names. Alek saw the look and could only think of his own mother; that kind of loving gleam that a mother would have for her child. This girl, who didn't look any older than any of the "heroes" listed above, spared this look to each of them.

"Heroes," the girl addressed them, "Will you help me?"

There was a moment of silence as the boys and girls all looked to each other again, seeing who would step up first.

"Well," the boy called Harry Potter spoke up, "Of course we will…but we don't even know who _you_ are yet."

The girl smiled and looked down sheepishly.

"I'm sorry," she apologized, "I'm afraid I don't know my own name. My brother and I have been isolated and alone for so long…we've forgotten our names. Although… there was one time…"

She turned to Alek, looking at him in the eye. "Some have come to call me… Ami (Ah-me)."

"The French word for friend?" Alek noticed. "Perhaps a bit on the nose, but I approve."

"What about your brother?" Percy wondered. "You've tasked us with destroying the world your brother made, but we don't even know who your brother is. Let alone _where_ he is, or what he can do."

" _What an excellent point_ …" A voice blew around Alek and his companions, carried here on a wind. " _How_ do _you intend on destroying a whole planet. Shoot into the ground? Set the sky on fire? Destroy the mountains one scoop of a shovel at a time? Please…_

 _I can get all of you home,_ " the voice in the wind promised. " _You all have your own problems to deal with on_ one _world, don't add the problems of_ another _to what you have to deal with. Face it heroes… None of you have any business fighting this pointless war._ "

"Sod. Off." Harry gritted his teeth.

Percy seems to have pulled a Greek-styled blade out of thin air. "If you surrender now, we'll go easy on you."

"Will we really?" Max took a stance in her corner. Were those…wings? On her back? Was she the angel?

"No," Percy shook his head, "Just wanted that to work. Just once."

Carter and Katniss remained silent as they readied their individual weapons. Alek did the same, pulling out his saber.

As the wind howled around them, the party waited for any sign of attack. None came, as the wind suddenly cut out. Alek let his guard down for half a second, when a black fog swept between and around his legs and formed at the center. It stood as a looming shadow of a man, grabbing Ami by her shoulders. Naturally, she tensed up, like a ghost had snuck up on her.

" _Dearest Sister,"_ the shadow spoke " _How long do we have to play out this cliché? Brother makes something, Sister shows up to mess it all up, I get mad, you cry…yadda-yadda-yadda. It gets old, Sis."_

He turned to the other heroes who surrounded him. " _Why stay? Why fight? I have more control of this world than_ she _ever will. I built this place! There are a hundred different ways to get you home! Just say the word, and it can be done!"_

"Yeah right," Carter stepped forward. "If these heroes are anything like me, they'll no better than to think that there's some easy way out. How many people have died because they got lost in this place?"

"Yeah!" Percy followed up. "How many of your monsters actually got someone killed?"

"If you made this world," Max continued, "Then you can't be a good guy. This place is Hell!"

The others seemed to more or less agree. The shadow seemed to be growling.

" _Fine,"_ he stated in finality, " _If you all want to be "Heroes" so badly, then I'll be your villain. I'll be your Antagonist! And for my first evil deed…"_

With a snap of his smoky fingers, Ami was wrapped up in chains and suspended several feet into the air in the blink of an eye.

" _I'll summon someone here who can't be beaten!_ " the Antagonist waved his arms about. He clapped his hands together and the smoke around him expanded, and started to churn. His voice still persisted. " _Ladies and Gentlemen…I give you a god among men. A Man of Steel! Also known as the Last Son of Krypton…!_ "

The smoke dispersed, and a rather strange individual was kneeling at the swirling core of smoke. His blue suit clung to his body, a red cape flowed from his shoulders, and a crest was placed on his chest in the shape of an S.

" _I give you…"_ the shadow's voice echoed off the walls. " _Superman!"_

The figure stood, blinking several times and examining each of them.

"Dude," Percy uttered in amazement, before howling to the winds. "You're an idiot! Of all people, you think _Superman_ would kill a bunch of teenagers for you!?"

The figure did not move, did not speak, but he examined Percy critically.

" _Yes…I do."_ The winds whispered menacingly. " _The Superman you see here…well, he's been handling the governments of the world, grinding them under his heel, along with the help of his Justice League._ "

A chill settled around them, as Alek witnessed the color drain from Percy's face.

" _Such tyrants!"_ the Antagonist continued. " _Superman's Regime? More like Superman and the Justice Lords; amiright? I'll be happy to send you back, High Councilor Superman, after these six children are dead. Ta-ta…_ "

There was a moment of silence between the seven of them, the only sound persisting was the chained up girl several feet up.

"Superman…" Percy sounded unable to grasp the concept that this man could do the task he was given. "Come on… You would never actually… I mean… We're all on the same side here…"

Superman turned towards the boy and walked over to him. He reached out and put his right hand on his shoulder.

"Son," he said, "In my time leading the Regime, I've done a lot of things I thought I'd never do in these past few years. One more isn't going to kill me."

With his right hand, he reached over his other shoulder and backhanded Percy, sending him soaring through the air, and over the edge of the tower.

A couple of things happened at once. Carter screamed in rage. Katniss fired three arrows, one after the other, only to have them snap and break against the skin of this "Superman." At the same time, Max unleashed her wings and dove over the side after Percy.

"Try not to worry," Superman addressed Carter like those arrows never existed. "I'll try to make it as painless as possible."

Harry, who remained speechless and wide-eyed up to this point, pointed a wooden stick at Superman. What was he going to do, cast a spell?

Superman seemed to think so. In the blink of an eye, he grabbed Harry by his face, jerking him up off his feet.

"No," he said, "None of that now."

"Stop!" Alek demanded. "In the name of the Austrian Empire!"

This gave the man pause. He stared at Alek critically as his cape fluttered in the wind.

"You don't seem to be a Metahuman of any kind," he noted. "Are you a Magician?"

Alek blinked, wondering if someone as strong as him had to resort to insults.

"No," Alek said, "certainly not." _Come on, Alek. Think! Buy some time, at least!_ "I don't know who you are."

The words surprised him more than they did Superman. He raised his eyebrow. "I had assumed everyone knew. These few others know who I am."

"They are from a different world than I am," Alek confessed. Hoping his friends would take the chance to get away. He's not sure how he could help Harry though…

"I'm not like them," he continued. "If I'm going to die, I want to know who you are, and why…Percy thought so much of you."

Superman nodded, finding this an acceptable excuse to delay death.

"I suppose I could humor you," he answered. He set Harry back down on his feet, but didn't let go of his head. "My birth name is Kal-El, and I was born on Krypton, a planet a few million light years away from Earth."

Alek nodded. An immigrant from a faraway world, got it.

"My father saw the destruction of our world, and chose to save me," he continued. Carter and Katniss were moving around the tower's edge, perhaps trying to get a better angle. "He put me in a rocket as a baby and sent me to Earth."

"That must have been hard on him," Alek thought aloud. "Dying so his son could have a chance."

"I was raised in Smallville, Kansas."

"American, then," Alek commented.

"It wasn't long before I learned about my powers, and how they came from the Sun itself. My body absorbs its radiation, granting me the power to do…anything."

"So you used it to conquer the world," Alek questioned.

"Watch your tone, boy," Superman warned him. "I fought to _save_ it. I tried to have it all. Save the world, be the hero, have a normal life, with my _wife_."

His head bowed and he shut his eyes tight. "A madman," he told him, "took my wife, while she was carrying my child. He destroyed my city…and I finally woke up."

He looked back to Alek. "I should have never tried to be something I wasn't. Normal. I should have been using _all_ my power. _All_ my resources. I've killed the Joker, and perfected my world; restoring order! And I'll be damned if four _children_ get in my way."

"I've had to kill people too," Alek further confessed. "My best friend, someone who I've come to love deeply, was about to be killed. If I never struck that man down… I'd never have the life I have with her now."

"You did what you had to," Superman sympathized. Perhaps he wanted someone who thought the way he did.

"I would do anything to protect Deryn," Alek told him, "but if I could do it again, I would have found another way to save her. I don't want blood on my hands, and I don't want any more good men to die!"

Superman just looked down his nose at him, like a disappointed teacher.

"Then you never truly loved your friend the way I loved Lois."

Right then, Katniss fired an arrow, nailing Superman in the head with it. The arrow burst into flames, covering his head and shoulders in flames. He let go of Harry, allowing him to crumble to his hands and knees and gasp for air. Katniss dove to pull Harry away from the caped madman. Alek assumed that the flames would burn Superman to a crisp, but he barely moved. Taking his sweet time, Superman patted the flames away, showing that his perfectly fair skin did not care whether or not it was on fire.

"Alright," he then said, "Now I'm all out of patience."

"So am I!"

Superman turned in time to see Percy, with Max's assistance, drop down from above and slash his sword on top of Superman's head. The alien caught it in his hand, though he shouted in pain as he pulled his hand back in pain. There was a cut in his hand.

"Magic," Superman bit in disgust.

"The jig is up, Super-turd," Percy stood ready. "Everybody knows you don't do Kryptonite. You're weak under a red sun. And you can't handle magic!"

"I don't need to "handle it,"" Superman's eyes glowed a hellish red. "I have Heat Vision."

" _Khefa!"_

 _"Stupify!"_

Superman stumbled forward, only to have Percy slash the sword across his chest. The Man of Steel called out in pain, falling on his back.

"I don't know who you are, or what you're trying to be," Percy told him off, "But that symbol on your chest means something. That S stands for hope. It stands for Superman, and you ain't him."

Superman's eyes glowed red again, as he gritted his teeth. He took to the air, raising his fist over his head.

" **I'm gonna** -"

" _Petrificus-Totalis!_ "

Superman froze in the air, and fell like a rock, shaking the floor they stood on and creating a small crater where he landed.

"I don't know how long that'll hold him," Harry huffed out.

Alek looked up to Ami, who watched on with tears in her eyes.

"I'll get her down," Max volunteered, still fluttering about on her impossible wings.

She guided the girl down to the ground and they managed to get the chains off of her. Without wasting a second of time, Ami waved her hand, and Superman dissipated into a white smoke. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"He's gone," she informed them, "I sent him back to where he came from. Even he will have no memory of this ever happening."

She looked to each of them, examining the heroes individually.

"I'm sorry for all this trouble," she apologized. "If you all wish to go home now, I'll understand."

Alek looked to Percy, Max, Harry, Katniss, and Carter. They all seemed to be thinking the same thing.

"Actually," Alek answered, "I think we'll all stay a while."


	6. Chapter 6

Carter wondered if he should have packed more supplies in the duat. Ami seemed to be in desperate need of tissues.

The girl looked ready to weep from the answer Alek gave her, but managed to choke back a sob and dry her eyes.

"Thank you."

"So," Percy rubbed his jaw, "We're going to destroy the world. How are we going to do that?"

"We need to perform a ritual," Ami answered, after sniffing loudly, "Like what the Giants on your world performed to summon the Earth Mother Gaea; we need to gather the pieces of my Brother's Heart."

"I…don't get it…" Max folded her arms.

"To make this world, my brother had to shatter his blackened heart and scatter the pieces to the far ends of this world. If we collect the pieces, we can…"

It almost sounded like she was going to say "Kill" him. She coughed before continuing.

"Defeat him," Ami settled. "After weakening his physical form, I can hijack his power, destroy this world, and return you all home safely. Not in that order, though, of course."

"Okay," Carter nodded, "So we grab the McGuffins, perform the ritual and get out of dodge. Sounds easy enough."

"Wait for it," Harry held a hand up.

"I'm afraid each piece is under tight guard-"

"There it is."

"-By unsavory characters," Ami continued.

"How are we going to get to the Heart pieces themselves?" Katniss wondered, "Do we even have a way to track them?"

"I can find them," Ami promised. "And as for transportation…Alek."

She turned, pointing to a blimp that had definitely not been there before.

Alek's eyes lit up with joy. "The Leviathan!"

"The what-the-who-now?" Max shook her head. "What the frack is that?"

"The Leviathan!" Alek exclaimed again, jumping at the opportunity to explain, and losing all the composure he's had up to this point. "It's a grand creation from England's Air Navy! The Leviathan is the country's biggest flying ecosystem!"

"Wait, wait, stop!" Percy pleaded. "I can't keep up! Back up a little bit?"

"Alek," Ami gently grabbed his arm, "Perhaps I should explain." She turned to the others. "The scientists and researchers of Alek's world have different views on technology and science. Particularly the study of "Life Threads." Otherwise known as DNA."

Carter blinked. "The year is 1916 where you're from and your scientists have discovered the powers of genetic engineering?!"

"Mastered it, actually," Alek proudly stood. "We've also mastered engineering in ways you could only imagine. You should see a Clanker Battleship sometime."

"The Leviathan is a pinnacle of that engineering," Ami continued to explain. "All she needs is the crew."

"Which is the real reason I cannot stop smiling at the moment!" Alek said with pride. "Deryn is part of that crew! I mean, Dylan is part of the crew! Please do not call her Deryn because the fact that she is a girl in the British Military is a closely guarded secret between us!"

"Alek," Ami sounded woeful, "I'm afraid Deryn isn't here. I didn't want to risk the crew, or any other people, caught up in this, so… I animated some mannequins to operate the ship…"

Carter watched as the light of excitement died in Alek's eyes. His smiling face retracted to a statue-like frown. It would almost be comical if Carter hadn't been so worried over the state of his new comrade.

"I'm so sorry, Alek," Ami apologized. "I never meant to…to tease you with the idea of-"

"No," Alek raised his hand, expressing no emotion. "It's quite all right. I just…got away from myself, is all. An fully automated ship; that's a grand idea. Shall we give them a tour, then?"

Without waiting for an answer, he turned on his heel and walked to the extended catwalk that connected the ship to the tower. The youths looked to each other, feeling a sense of shame on Alek's behalf. Carter wasn't sure what the others were thinking, but all he could be reminded of was Zia. He missed her, and his sister, Sadie, and all the other kids back home. He couldn't wait to get all of this nonsense over with.

"Come on," Carter herded them towards the catwalk. "No need to keep the man waiting."

As they approached the blimp, the more it unsettled Carter. It truly was alive, breathing and groaning. Its skin shimmered like a field of grass. It took Carter a minute to realize that it was giant, floating whale. How this was possible, Carter had no clue, but his legs kept pushing one foot in front of the other, until they were inside the corridors.

They spotted the mannequins running around the interior of the vessel, wearing raggedy clothes, but had blank faces. Carter stared at the limbs they had, noting the ball joints like they were toys; man-sized toys.

One man had a creature on a leash. It resembled a dog, but its snout split into two at the end, giving the creature two sets of nostrils. But that was the tamest part of it. Its body resembled an arachnid from the neck down, though the end of its legs had paws, and it seemed to be covered in dog fur.

As it passed by, they group stopped and stared. The spider-dog, and its owner, turned the corner, and Carter turned to the others.

"That," Max shook her head, "is just _so_ wrong."

"Why would you…create such a creature?" Katniss stared down the hallway, waiting for it to come back.

"So that it may scan the ship for hydrogen leaks and patch them up," Alek answered stoically. He seemed so happy just a few minutes ago, but now he's just….

"That one still disturbs me," Alek emotionlessly tried to comfort them, "but the Hydrogen Sniffers are all harmless, and you will get use to their presence, given time."

As they made their way to the command deck, they saw several creatures skittering across the walls. They resembled ordinary lizards, but Carter couldn't be sure.

"What do those guys do?" Percy asked. "The lizards, I mean."

"They send messages," Alek answered, "They're a primary source of communication for this ship."

"That seems really insufficient," Carter noted. "Isn't there a more…direct way to contact someone?"

"The lizards are fast," Alek noted, "but I agree that Clanker electriks are more direct. However, they are somewhat cumbersome to carry and use for their size."

"Okay," Max snickered, not understanding.

"Guys," Carter clarified, "He's from the nineteenth century, give him a break."

That seemed to snap into place for all of them. They remained silent as they followed Alek into the command room.

"Hey," Harry noted. "No one's driving."

"I thought some jobs were a bit too…complex," Ami explained. "I thought it'd be better if everyone had a job on the ship. Each trip is going to take a few days."

"So…what?" Percy wondered, "We spin a chore wheel?"

Max put her finger to her nose. "Not it for cleaning toilets!"

The others didn't find it as amusing as Percy did, who also put his finger to his nose.

"Seeing as I'm the closest thing to a mechanic in this party," Alek stated, "I'll be working on the engines at the back of the ship. Ami will be our navigation. I'm not sure what the rest of you can do, but I think we should decide on a captain. A leader."

Carter looked to the others, who all looked to each other.

"Should we…draw straws, then?" Harry thought.

"Rock, Paper, Scissors, maybe?" Percy wondered.

"We could vote," Katniss elected.

"But we don't know each other well enough to decide who we want," Max pointed out.

"Does it really matter anyway?" Carter shrugged. "I mean, we don't _really_ need a leader, do we?"

"I think we do," Ami insisted. "We need someone who can see all the pieces and forces at play and make the best call."

"Well…" Percy folded his arms, thinking critically. "I've been leader before…"

"As have I," Harry mentioned.

"I've been leading my guys and girls all my life," Max stepped up.

"Please," Alek held up his hands, "This is not the time or place for a fight. Why don't we sleep on this? We can decide in once we're all rested."

Everyone looked at each other and more or less agreed. They stood and watched as the catwalk receded back to the ship and started turning towards their destination.

"There's one more thing you all should know," Alek said, "One extremely crucial rule:"

He took a breath and continued. "Absolutely no flames or sparks or gunfire of any kind. As I've mentioned before, this ship is filled to the brim with Hydrogen, which I am such I don't need to tell you is very flammable. One spark, and…"

He shook his head and sighed. "If you need to navigate the corridors at night, there are lamps filled with glowworms to light your way. I'll show you to your accommodations, now."

They followed him wordlessly. Ami stayed behind to chart a course.

"So…" Max said after a minute or two. "Does everyone get their own room, or…?"

"No," Alek answered, "I wouldn't think so. During my time here, I had to share a room almost at all times. The ladies can have a room to themselves. As for my roommate, I have no preference as for who it is. So long as you don't snore too terribly."

Percy and Carter looked to each other. Of all the people present at the moment, he trusted Percy the most. He guessed that was only out of association, though. Better the devil you know…

"I'll bunk with Percy," Carter volunteered.

Like that, it was decided. Alek showed them where the bathrooms were (a big open space with no real privacy, what else was new?) and they turned in for the night.

"That Alek kid seem alright to you?" Percy said as he investigated the room. "He's just…well…"

"I think he just needs some space," Carter guessed. "We'll have to see tomorrow."

Later that night, Carter was restless. Tossing and turning, and unable to sleep. He hated to admit it, but he had gotten used to using the rock pillow back home. The enchantments on it kept him from drifting away in his sleep, anyway.

He jumped up in his bed as he heard someone walking outside. Who would be up at this time of night?

Shirtless, barefoot, and in his pajamas, he pulled his Khopesh sword from the duat and crept to the door. He poked his head out and noticed a shadow disappear around the corner.

"You noticed it too?" Max appeared behind him. Harry was with her.

"What was that?" Carter whispered.

"Don't know," Harry admitted, "It looked like a Viking."

"I saw a giant rat with armor, earlier," Max then mentioned.

"And I'm pretty sure I saw a dragon too," Harry continued.

Carter felt a shiver up his spine. "That's not good," he noted. He stepped out and closed the door behind him.

"We should wake the others," Harry suggested.

"No," Carter said, "Three is already too many. If we wake everyone up, it'll just be panic and the mannequins will get in the way. If we deal with this swiftly and quietly, no one will have to get hurt."

Max and Harry looked to each other.

"You sure that's a good idea, Carter?" Max advised.

"No," he admitted. "But… yes."

"…Okay," Harry nodded. "Let's go."

They crept around the corridors, stalking shadows in the night. They found one examining a wall, and struck out.

" _Petrificus Totalus_!" Harry cast in a whisper.

The figure seized up and froze, before falling back. It was the Viking, wielding a silver sword and green armor. His face was frozen in a cry for help.

"This is definitely one of them," Max stood over the intruder, and kicked his shoulder. "Where are your friends?"

"He can't answer," Harry explained, "His face is frozen."

"Well, can you… _unfreeze_ his face?" Max asked him. "We could use some info on what we're dealing with."

"It doesn't work that way," Harry shook his head.

"Of course it doesn't," Max rolled her eyes.

"Hey!"

The three of them turned to see a floating girl in a strange costume. It was blue and pink, and did little to cover up the girl. Carter couldn't place the manner of dress she wore. Was it supposed to be a gothic English kind of robe?

The girl gasped. "Celtic Guardian?!" She grew a fierce look. "You'll pay for that!"

She waved a wand into the air, and a ball of energy formed at its end. Carter and company barely had time to move out of the way. They dove as the energy smashed into the wall behind them. The wall was metal, but the ship around them groaned in pain.

"Wait, wait!" Carter stood and held is hands out. "We can't fight! Not here."

A new voice appear from behind the girl. "Apprentice!"

A figure of a man drifted towards them like a specter. It was then Carter realized that the two of them were floating several inches from the ground, like they were genies or something.

The man was dressed in flowing dark robes, and held an emerald staff in his hand. He turned to scold the girl.

"Do your ears fail you, Dark Magician Girl?" he demanded angrily. "The air on this vessel is volatile, you would set us all aflame!"

The girl shied away from her mentor. "Sorry…master."

The man (this "Dark Magician") examined Carter and his company.

"Who are you?" Carter demanded. "Why do attack our air ship?"

"We merely search it," The would-be Magician explained. "We serve only the Pharaoh."

Carter felt his eyebrows raise in surprise. What luck!

"I am Carter Kane," he held out his sword and spoke with as much authority as he could. "I am the Eye of Horus, and the one day Pharaoh of the House of Life! I command you to gather your comrades and leave this place! Now. Please."

The two spell-casters looked at each other.

"We serve…the Pharaoh Atem," the man said. "We will take you to him."

The walked through the rigs and end up outside, climbing the nets on the side of the beast. The two magic users floated nearby, making sure they didn't fall. The cold wind bit into Carter's skin, but he endured it. Whoever commanded these…monsters…needed to be stopped.

They found him towards the front of the ship. He seemed young, but he was tall, and he seemed to be wearing a private school uniform of some kind. Going past his outrageous hairstyle, he had a gauntlet on his arm, with a wing coming off of it.

"My lord," the Magician bowed.

The boy turned to face them. "So," he greeted, "I am not alone on this ship after all. I am Yugi Moto, and I am Pharaoh Atem. I awoke in this new world with no memory of how I arrived. Tell me; have I truly fallen to the Shadow Realm?"

"Uh…" Max looked to the others, confused. "Is this guy still speaking English?"

"He's from another world," Harry reminded her. "Try to be patient."

Carter stepped forward. "This world is a trap," he tried to explain.

He talked more, explaining that the people and champions of many worlds become trapped here and die. He and his comrades have banded together to fight it.

After a moment of absorbing this information, the boy answered.

"I believe your tale, stranger," Yugi/Atem answered. "Though you seem somewhat…disturbed by something."

Carter was taken aback, as though the thought of an entire planet out to kill him and everything else was only a trivial matter.

"I…" Carter looked away. "I'm not sure we can do this. I mean…a whole world of pain and suffering? I've had to save the world before…but destroy it…?"

"It is a daunting task, to be sure," he confirmed, "But I see your strength. You have accomplished much. Don't let your fears paralyze you now."

Carter was taken aback again. He didn't expect to get a pep talk from a kid who, as far as he could tell, was using cards to summon fighters and spells.

"Now," he continued, "There is one problem to address." He pressed something on his gauntlet, and the two magicians disappeared. He slipped the cards off their placements and placed them carefully into his deck. "Am I to stay here? Or am I to return home?"

"We have a friend who can help you back home," Harry offered.

"Better yet," Max thought aloud. "We could use a boy who can summon a small army."

"Which is it?" Carter thought. "Should he stay or should he go?"

"Neither."

The group jumped and turned as the noticed Ami standing there. Her face was fierce, and the wind caused her hair and dress to whip around.

"This is an attempt by my brother," she explained. She held out her hand, and Yugi evaporated, becoming a ball of light and shooting past the group to Ami's palm. "Too many champions from worlds so distant from each other…it creates distortion, chaos and discord. If he were to remain for too long, we would suffer from drastic repercussions. He will be safe with me, and we can call on his help should we require it."

She pulled out a locket the size of her own hand and opened it, placing the light in her other palm within. She was standing close enough for Carter to peak in. The locket had several niches inside, one of them now filled with a small red jewel.

"Carter," Ami looked up to them. "You handled that rather well. For what it's worth, I think you should be the leader."

With that, she turned and walked away.

Carter looked to the other two.

"Well," he said, "that was…"

"Interesting," Harry agreed.

"You know…" Max wondered, "I hate to admit it, but those monsters on the cards looked kinda neat."

Carter shook his head and left to return to his bunk.

"I wouldn't mind playing the game," Harry agreed again. "At least once, maybe."

"Yeah," Max agreed back, "Just one game."

"Goodnight!" Carter called over his shoulder. He added under his breath. "I'm on a ship with a bunch of nerds."


End file.
